Minor League Report. Judge, Stanton at SWB (Stanton HRs) but SWB gets hammered. Trenton gets just one hit again.

AAA: DH Aaron Judge started his rehab for SWB, and was joined there by RF Giancarlo Stanton, but SWB (38-27) got hammered, 16-3. Judge was 0 for 4, striking out 3x. Stanton was 1 for 3, striking out 2x, but hitting a 3-run HR (and reports are it was an absolute BOMB).

2B Breyvic Valera 2 hits (.419). CF Billy Burns 2 hits. Awful night for starter Dan Camarena, who gave up 12 R, 10 ER, in 2 1/3 IP.

Danny Farquhar, trying to comeback from that brain aneurysm last year, gave up 4 runs, 2 HR, in 1 1/3 IP.

AA: Trenton (36-26) only got one hit (and no, it wasn’t a ninth-inning bunt, it was a second-inning single) in losing 3-0. Starter Garrett Whitlock 1 R in 6 IP.

High A: Tampa off. The first half of the season is over, and the FSL All-Star Game is tonight. Tampa finished the first half 28-38, sixth in the seven-team division, 13 1/2 back.

Low A: Charleston (36-32) lost 7-6 in 10 innings. CF Brandon Lockridge 2 hits, solo HR. DH Anthony Seigler (2018 1st round pick) 2 hits. 3B Max Burt 2 hits, 3 RBI.

Advertisements

Game 68. Pitching woes continue as Yanks lose 10-2.

Win #250 is proving quite elusive for CC Sabathia.

The Yankees (41-27) lost 10-2 to the White Sox Friday night, and fell out of first place. They are 1/2 a game behind Tampa Bay. Boston sits in third, 6 back of the Rays and 5 1/2 back of the Yankees.

The problem is that in this month of June, they are 4-8 as the pitching is collapsing.

Never mind that Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton may be coming back soon. Right now, I’d feel better if it were Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery.

In the 12 games of June, the Yankees have given up 77 runs. That is one short of 6 1/2 runs per game. You can’t win like that.

More at the bottom of the column. As for the game…

Luke Voit homered (17) in the first inning. 1-0 Yanks, but CC couldn’t get out of a first and third, two out jam, giving up a 3-run HR, then two walks and a single made it 4-1 Chicago after one inning.

Chicago got an unearned run in the second, 5-1. They knocked out CC with a run in the fifth.

Luis Cessa was awful, giving up four runs in the sixth, three via a HR.

An error gave the Yanks a run in the ninth, but they lost 10-2.

A bad game. The Yanks only scored two runs, got just six hits, made two errors, and the pitching gave up 10 runs. Not a good night.

Voit 2 for 2, solo HR (17), 2 walks.
Clint Frazier 2 hits.

Sabathia (L, 3-4, 4.42) 4 2/3 IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 10 H, 3 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Cessa 1 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.  6.10
Hale 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.20

I know CC is retiring at the end of the season, but lately I wonder how much is left in the tank now. One thing with CC—even if he pitches well, he doesn’t give you length anymore. He gives you five, then you are using up the bullpen.

And other starters aren’t giving you length either. You worry about bullpen burnout.

Which I why I can see Cashman working the phones. Also why getting outbid on Keuchel may come back to hurt the Yankees.

Ok, some numbers. The first is the pitcher’s ERA as of June 1, the second is the ERA now. The ones most striking are:

CC 3.48 to 4.42
Cessa 3.16 to 6.10
Paxton 2.81 to 4.04
German (from May 21, not June 1) 2.60 to 3.86

For German, we now know he is on the IL with the hip problem. You wonder about the knees of Paxton and CC.

As for Cessa, who had a good spring training and who was Ok through May, you just wonder…anything wrong there physically?

Adam Ottavino didn’t give up any runs between April 21 and June 9 but did in each of his last two appearances.

Tommy Kahnle had that blip on June 9, giving up 4 runs.

Zack Britton had a blip June 5, giving up 3 runs then.

For Ottavino, Kahnle and Britton, you wonder if the law of averages just caught up with them (they were due for a blip) or if overuse (the starters don’t give length) is catching up to them.

I know it’s a different time, and that starters don’t go deep anymore, but here is the average innings per start.

Tanaka 83/14 is almost 6.
Happ 75.3/14 is 5 1/3
CC 57/11 is 5
German 68/12 is 5 2/3
Paxton 49/10 is 5.

5 x 32 starts a year is 160 IP. That doesn’t even qualify you for the ERA title (you need 162 IP).

I won’t get into Loaisiga and the openers.

But a worrisome trend. The starters don’t get into the sixth. The bullpen gets overtaxed. Some injury issues (CC/Paxton knee, German hip). The pitching in June falling apart.

The pitching has to turn around, and you wonder how it’ll do so.

Internally? Guys have to pitch better, and by the time Severino and Montgomery are ready, it could be too late.

or Externally? And if externally, who, when and for what?

But something has to change, and fast.

 

Minor League Report. Charleston wins on 1-hitter.

AAA: The Yanks traded INF Brad Miller off of SWB to the Phillies for cash considerations.

SWB (38-26) lost 4-3. SS Breyvic Valera 2 hits (.416). 3B Thairo Estrada 2 hits, RBI. Brody Koerner (L, 3-1, 3.25) 7 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR.

AA: Trenton (36-25) won 4-1. DH Chris Gittens 2 for 2 w/a walk. C Kellin Deglan 2-run HR. 1B Brandon Wagner 2 hits, solo HR. Weather shortened game to 7 innings.

High A: Tampa (28-38) rained out.

Low A: Charleston (36-31) won 10-0 on a 1-hitter. Last year’s first-round draft pick, C Anthony Seigler, 2 hits. LF Canaan Smith (.316) 3 hits, 4 RBI, as he hit two two-run HR. 2B Kyle Gray 2 hits, 3 RBI. CF Omar Carrizales 2 hits, 2 RBI. SS Eduardo Torrealba 2 for 2 with a walk, 1 RBI.

Medina (W, 1-4, 7.43) 6 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 3 K.
Marinaccio (S, 1) 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 4 K. 0.00

Standings:

SWB 1st in International League North by 5 1/2 games

Trenton 1st in Eastern League Eastern Division by 1 game (Magic #8 for first half title)

Tampa 5th in Florida State League North, 13 1/2 out. First half over this weekend, didn’t qualify for postseason in the first half. Second half?

Charleston 1st in South Atlantic South by 1 game. (Magic #3 for first half title).

 

Game 67. Un”Happ”y night. Yanks blow 4-0 lead, lose 5-4.

Before the game, the Yanks placed Kendrys Morales on the IL and sent down Stephen Tarpley. They brought back up Nestor Cortes, Jr. and Mike Tauchman.

With Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton due off the IL soon, you wonder if, when Morales recovers, they’ll just DFA him then.

As for the game, disappointing. The Yanks (41-26) blew a 4-0 lead in losing 5-4 to the Chicago White Sox.

J.A. Happ’s season has been disappointing so far, and last night was no exception. Staked to a 4-0 lead after three innings, Happ had to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, then in the fifth gave up a walk, single, double that cut the lead to 4-1, then a 3-run HR that tied it.

The Yanks had scored two runs in the second when Didi Gregorius and Gleyber Torres singled and after a forceout by Brett Gardner, a WP moved both runners up, scoring Didi. Clint Frazier singled in Gardner to make it 2-0.

Gardner made it 4-0 in the fourth with a 2-run HR (11). The Yanks didn’t score again.

Adam Ottavino gave up a HR in the seventh to make it 5-4.

Tampa Bay lost, so the Yanks maintained their 1/2 a game lead in the AL East, but still….

A disappointing night.

Gregorius 2 hits
Torres 2 hits.
Gardner 2-run HR (11)
Frazier 3 hits, RBI

Happ 5 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 4 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.66
Kahnle 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  2.70
Ottavino (L, 2-2, 1.80) 2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K.  Gave up 1 HR.
Holder 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  4.68

I’ll be interested to see what pitching moves will be made soon (trade?). So far this month the pitching has been disappointing. The starters aren’t giving length, either, and the bullpen gets overworked.

The Yanks need a couple of games soon where a starter gives them 7 or 8 strong innings, not just five.

For a time last night, we thought last night could or should have been it.

Minor League Report. Stanton hits 2 more HR on his rehab.

While the big-league Yanks were off yesterday, Tampa Bay lost, so the 41-25 Yankees are in first place by 1/2 a game.

AAA: SWB (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 38-25) won 7-6. 3B Tyler Wade 2 hits, 2 RBI, 2-Run HR. 2B Thairo Estrada 3 hits, 2 RBI, solo HR. 1B Mike Ford 2 hits, 2 RBI, 2 -run HR. LF Trey Amburgey 2 hits. Danny Farquhar, who had that brain aneurysm with the White Sox last year, pitched in his first minor league game this year, giving up 3 runs in 1 2/3 innings for SWB.

AA: Trenton (35-25) won 7-2. 2B Hoy Jun Park 2 hits. SS Kyle Holder 2 hits. LF Ben Ruta 2 RBI. 1B Chris Gittens 2 RBI. C Kellin Deglan 2 hits, RBI. 3B Mandy Alvarez 3 hits, 2 RBI.

Albert Abreu (W, 3-5, 3.79) 6 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 W, 8 K.

High A: RF Giancarlo Stanton hit 2 HR in his rehab for Tampa. Tampa, 28-38, won 6-2. Stanton was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI. 2B Oswaldo Cabrera 2 hits. LF Isiah Gilliam also hit 2 HR and drove in 3 runs. 3B Angel Aguilar 2 hits.

Shawn Semple (W, 1-1, 3.11) 6 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 1 W, 5 K.

Low A: Charleston (35-31) lost 3-2. CF Brandon Lockridge 2 hits, RBI. Starter Harold Cortijo, ND, 5 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 W, 6 K.  2.70.

Minor League Report. Stanton HRs on Rehab.

AAA: SWB (37-25) won 4-1. 3B Breyic Valera (.429!) 4 hits. C Kyle Higashioka 2-run HR. Drew Hutchison 6 IP, 1 R.

AA: Trenton (34-25) lost 7-6 by giving up a run in the bottom of the ninth. DH Mandy Alvarez 2 hits, 3 RBI. 1B Chris Gittens a 2-run HR. SS Kyle Holder 2 hits. C Kellin Deglan 2 hits.

High A: Tampa (27-38) lost both games of a DH.

Game 1: Lost 6-1. DH Giancarlo Stanton, on rehab, 2 hits, inc. a solo HR. 2B Oswaldo Cabrera 3 hits. RF Tyler Hill 2 hits.

Game 2: Lost 7-2. Cabrera 2 hits (played SS in this one). Hill 2 hits (LF in this game).

Low A: Charleston (35-30) won 3-2. 1B Mickey Gasper 3-run HR. Daniel Bies 4 scoreless relief IP, 6 K.

Games 65 & 66. Yanks regain share of first with a DH Split vs. Mets.

Game 1: Masahiro Tanaka got through one bad inning, pitching into the seventh, as the Yanks pounded the Mets, 12-5.

The Yanks went up 1-0 in the second on a double by Didi Gregorius and an RBI single by Kendrys Morales.

Tanaka gave up 4 runs in the third, inc. a 3-run HR to put the Mets up 4-1.

In the bottom of the third, the Yanks got one back when Brett Gardner singled, he and D.J. LeMahieu were safe all around on an error, and with two out, Gary Sanchez singled to make it 4-2.

The Yanks got five in the fourth on a 2-run HR by Gio Urshela (5) and a 3-run bomb by Luke Voit (16).

With two out in the fifth, the Yanks tacked on two more runs on a double by Morales, RBI single by Urshela, and RBI triple by Gardner. 9-4.

After the Mets scored a run in the top of the sixth to cut it to 9-5, the Yanks got a run in the seventh when Clint Frazier and Urshela each doubled.

Sanchez hit a 2-run HR (20) in the bottom of the eighth for the final score of 12-5.

Voit 3-run HR (16)
Sanchez 2 hits, 3 RBI, 2-run HR (20)
Gregorius 2 hits
Morales 3 hits, RBI
Urshela 3 hits, 4 RBI, 2-run HR (5)
Gardner 2 hits, RBI

Tanaka (W, 4-5, 3.58) 6 2/3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Kahnle 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.81
Hale 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.57.

Game 2: You worry about the Yanks’ pitching and their health and if they need or will get another pitcher. German on the IL for now, Tanaka’s elbow, CC’s knee, Severino and Montgomery haven’t pitched at all this year, Loaisiga on IL, and with Game 2’s starter, James Paxton, you wonder if his knee is affecting him. In his last two starts, Paxton’s ERA has gone from 2.81 to 4.04.

He was knocked out in the third. After just 11 pitches, the Mets, who won this game 10-4, were up 3-0 after a double, single, and 3-run HR.

The Mets tacked on three more in the third, knocking Paxton out of the box.

The Yanks got three in the bottom of the third to cut it to 6-3. LeMahieu singled, Voit walked. Sanchez singled to load the bases. Gleyber Torres singled in one run, and forceouts by Frazier and Urshela brought in two more.

But a 2-run HR off of Chance Adams in the fourth made it 8-3 Mets.

Adams, the “26th man” for the DH (and therefore going back down after the game), gave up another HR in the fifth, 9-3.

Stephen Tarpley gave up a run in the top of the ninth, 10-3 Mets.

Brett Gardner homered (10) in the bottom of the ninth for the final score of 10-4 Mets.

LeMahieu 2 hits, .316
Sanchez 2 hits
Torres 2 hits, RBI
Gardner 2 hits, solo HR (10)

Paxton (L, 3-3, 4.04) 2 2/3 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 2 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Adams 4 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR.  3.97
Cessa 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.  5.10
Tarpley 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.  8.53

Dellin Betances has been shut down for a few weeks. Lat issue.

The Yanks could be getting Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge back in about a week to two weeks.

First round draft pick Anthony Volpe (SS) has signed with the Yankees.

With the split, the Yanks (41-25) are tied for first with Tampa Bay. They are off Wednesday.